Page 68 of Rescued By Four Alphas
I slide to the floor, unable to remain standing as another contraction rips through me. It's getting more intense, more urgent.
"I think... my water just broke," I gasp, as warm fluid pools beneath me.
Marianna kneels beside me, pushing my gown up to examine me. "You're dilating rapidly now. The stress and adrenaline must be accelerating things."
I lean my head back against a metal cabinet, tears streaming down my face. "We're not going to make it, are we?"
The alarms continue to blare outside, and I can hear shouting in the distance, the sound of boots on tile.
"They're coming for us," I whisper, cradling my belly. "I can't run anymore. I can't fight. Not like this."
Marianna's face is grim as she rips open packages of clean gauze and medical supplies. "Then we deliver these babies here."
"What?" I stare at her in horror. "No! Not here. Not now. They're too early!"
"They're coming whether we want them to or not," she says firmly. "Reid's accelerant has done its work. Your body is in full labor now."
Another contraction hits, and I can't hold back my scream. The pain is beyond anything I could have imagined, as if my body is being torn in half.
"Dahlia, listen to me," Marianna grips my shoulders. "Your Alphas are coming. I believe that. But right now, these babies need you. You need to focus."
I try to breathe through the pain, to think clearly despite the fog of agony and fear.
"Even if they're coming," I gasp, "they won't get here in time. And we're locked in a storage closet in a secret government facility with people hunting us down."
Marianna's eyes are strong as she meets my gaze. "Then we fight. We do whatever it takes to keep you and these babies alive until help arrives."
The determination in her voice gives me hope, but reality is impossible to ignore.
"I can't," I whisper, fresh tears streaming down my face. "I can't do this. Not here. Not like this. They'll die. My babies will die."
"Not if I can help it," Marianna insists, as she starts arranging supplies. "I've delivered hundreds of babies, including shifter infants and premature ones."
I want to believe her, but the situation seems hopeless. We're trapped, surrounded by enemies, with no way out. I'm in premature labor with quadruplets, and my body is pumped full of experimental drugs. Even if we somehow evade Reid's security forces, even if my Alphas do find this facility, what are the chances they'll reach us in time? It's very unlikely I can give birth naturally. I'll still need a C-section. And if we prolong their birth, they could die. All the odds are against me.
"Marianna," I say between pants as another contraction builds, "if something happens to me, if I don't make it…"
"Don't," she cuts me off sharply. "Don't say it."
"Listen to me," I grab her wrist, squeezing until she winces. "If it comes down to a choice between me and the babies, you save them. Do you understand? You save my children."
Her expression softens slightly. "Dahlia…"
"Promise me," I insist.
Before she can answer, the sound of gunfire erupts somewhere in the distance, followed by a deep, reverberating explosion that shakes the walls around us.
Marianna freezes, her eyes widening. "What the hell was that?"
Chapter 21 - Evan
"What do you mean 'right now'?" I demand, "Be specific."
The communications specialist shrinks under my gaze, his fingers fumbling with the equipment. "The transmission was clear, sir. The primary subject, which we believe is your mate, has entered early labor. They mentioned 'accelerated extraction protocols' are being initiated immediately."
My world narrows to a pinpoint. Twenty minutes ago. Twenty fucking minutes. Anything could have happened at that time.
I sweep my arm across the nearest surface, sending maps and equipment crashing to the floor. "We move now. Not at dawn. Now."
